Six students from Portledge School attended the 18th annual National Association of Independent Schools’ Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC) in Philadelphia, PA December 1-3, 2011. The students were Zachary Cooper-Vastola ’12,Alexa Lodenquai ’12, Yousef Macer ’12, Jazmyn Martin ’13, Mirella Nappi ’13, and Rachael Scheinman ’12. Two of the students, Rachael and Zachary, were returning for their second year to join the advanced group and to serve as a student mentor, respectively. Elisabeth Mooney, director of college counseling, accompanied the students and attended the People of Color Conference (PoCC), which took place for adults at the same time.

SDLC and PoCC provide a combined multiracial, multicultural gathering of students, teachers and administrators from across the country to consider issues of equity and justice within independent schools. This year’s theme was“We the People: Painting our New Mural of Community- Updating our Status a Declaration of Interdependence.” The conference focused on self-reflecting, forming allies and building community, a daunting challenge but one that was passionately embraced by the 1,500 students and 3,800 faculty, administrators, and diversity professionals attending the conference.

From the start, the students were divided into “families,” assigned groups of students of mixed cultural backgrounds and identities. In these families students discussed issues, such as stereotyping, the cycle of oppression and how to destroy it, and the concept of empowerment. They discussed gender, race, class, ability, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, and the stereotypes that go with each of these cultural identifiers. The students were able to be their own person while connecting with others with whom they may or may not share similarities. Through emphasized “Social Norms” they learned to be comfortable with silence and to listen in order to process difficult issues constructively. 

The speakers included Wes Moore, who spoke about his autobiographical book,The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Faces, and how life can change in an instant; Martin Nesbitt, an entrepreneur who began The Parking Spot off-airport parking facilities, who shared his experience of being a black student in an independent school and the impact it had on his life; Zohra Sarwari, who spoke about stereotypes and being a Muslim woman; and Patti Solis Doyle, a political consultant with the distinction of being the first Hispanic presidential campaign manager when she worked with Hilary Rodham Clinton.

The Portledge students appreciated the opportunity to participate andreturned with a strong sense of their own identity as well as a commitment to share their experience. They vow to stay in touch with the friends they made from around the country, which is easy through the use of social networks. Their newfound hope, strength and sense of empowerment will help them make an impact on the world one small step at a time.